By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | Dec. 8, 2015, 9:23 am CT, updated 12/9
In their first move of the Winter Meetings, the Cardinals have found the utility player they’ve been looking for, as the team announced Tuesday morning that they acquired infielder Jedd Gyorko from the San Diego Padres, along with cash, in exchange for long-time Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay.
A career .236 hitter at the major league level with the Padres, the right-handed hitting Gyorko has smacked 49 home runs over his first three seasons in the big-leagues. After an impressive rookie campaign in which he slugged 23 home runs and finished as a finalist for the N.L. Rookie of the Year award, Gyorko signed a five-year, $35 million deal with the Friars before struggling to a .210 batting average and 10 home runs in an injury-riddled 2014 season. While a rocky start to the 2015 season saw him demoted to the minors for a few weeks, the 27-year-old did turn things around greatly in the second half of the season, hitting 13 home runs with a .259/.299/.440 batting line of his final 281 plate appearances of the season.
Gyorko finished the 2015 season with a .247/.297/.397 batting line, 16 homers and 57 RBI.
Defensively, Gyorko has played the majority of his big league games (319) at second base, but has also seen time at shortstop (29 games), third base (13 games), and first base (1 game), and will likely be regularly demonstrating that versatility for the redbirds in 2016 as he takes the place of long-time utility man Pete Kozma on the Cardinals roster. In 93 games at second base and 29 at shortstop last season, Gyorko committed just three errors combined.
By Keith Allison / CC Image / No changes made
After the light-hitting Kozma (zero extra-base-hits in 2015) served as the team’s primary middle infield backup the last few seasons, Gyorko will provide the Cardinals with something they’ve lacked and were known to be looking for this offseason: a more prominent bat capable of handling multiple positions on the diamond. This past season, both shortstop Jhonny Peralta and second baseman Kolten Wong saw steep drops in production in the second half, with Wong’s average dropping 40 points and Peralta losing 55 points on his batting average. Ideally, Gyorko’s offensive abilities will provide Mike Matheny more flexibility to rest his middle infielders in 2016.
Gyorko has also had good success against lefties, an area in which the Cardinals offense has struggled greatly in the last few seasons. With a career .260 average and .441 slugging percentage against southpaws, Gyorko could conceivably form a platoon with Kolten Wong at the keystone if Matheny decided to go that route. Regardless, Gyorko figures to provide a strong offensive and solid defense presence when in the lineup and can serve as a power bat off the bench when not on the original lineup card.
As part of the trade, the Cardinals are receiving roughly $7.5 million from San Diego to help offset some of the $32 million owed to Gyorko over the next four seasons, a source tells MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. Gyorko is guaranteed $4 million next season, $6 million in 2017, $9 million in 2018, and $13 million in 2019. The contract also includes a $13 million club option for 2020 with a $1 million buyout.
By Keith Allison / CC Image / No changes made
Drafted in the second round of the 2006 Amateur Draft by St. Louis, Jay was one of the longest tenured Cardinals, making his major league debut in 2010. The 30-year-old outfielder hit .297 from 2011-2014, spending much of that time as the club’s starting center fielder.
But after offseason wrist surgery, Jay struggled to regain his strength and swing in 2015 and lost significant playing time to rookies Randal Grichuk and Stephen Picotty, struggling to just a .210/.306/.257 batting line in 79 games (210 at bats).
In his career, Jay boasts a .287 batting average with 28 home runs, 227 RBI, and 43 stolen bases.
It’s not entirely clear exactly how Jay fits into the Padres plans for next season, though he could figure to earn a good deal of playing time, whether it be in a corner outfield spot or part of a platoon in center field with Melvin Upton. Regardless, Jay will have a much more prominent role out west than he would in St. Louis, where Matt Holliday, Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, Stephen Piscotty, and Brandon Moss all represent current outfield options.
The Padres will take on Jay’s $6.225 million salary next season, after which the outfielder is slated to become a free agent.
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